GLORIA!

The performance of Rutter's Gloria with Wilson HS and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra is now a under two weeks away! Below is the most current, up to date rehearsal/performance schedule. There is also information regarding ticket sales. Please remember that these rehearsals are required in order to participate in the concert. If a student has a serious conflict that cannot be avoided please have a parent/guardian contact me as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm for this once in a life time opportunity. The last rehearsal with the orchestra was amazing - I can't way to hear what the students sound like in concert!

Rehearsal Schedule -

Tuesday (2/25) - Choir only @ Grant, 6:30 - 8:30 pm (w/Andres)

Thursday (2/27) - Choir/Orchestra @ Grant, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Saturday (3/1) -Choir/Orchestra @ Roseway Heights 7334 NE Siskiyou, 10:30 - 12:30 pm 

Sunday (3/2) - Performance @ Schnitzer, 5:00 pm Call Time - 7:30 performance

Ticket Information -

Tickets for the concert start at $14 for adults, $10 for students. Tickets are available by phone or mail order. Unfortunately tickets are not available for purchase online. Please visit the MYS Website to reference seating options and pricing schemes. To order tickets call the MYS box office at 503-239-4566. I will also provide a copy of the order form in an email if you choose to order tickets by mail. 

Solo & Ensemble Update

Solo & Ensemble has been rescheduled for SUNDAY, March 9th. Due to conflicting times for soloists and accompanists the schedule for the day will most likely go through some modifications. As soon as I know everyone's performance time I will post it here. Thank you for your cooperation!

Solo & Ensemble Master Calendar

Here is the master calendar for Solo & Ensemble on February 8th, 2014. If you have problem with any of the time slots please let me know asap so that I can get them changed.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkTatZiVjTqXdEhGV1JXTWlySm01eXN5a0g1bWllLXc&usp=sharing

Fantastic Fall Concert!

Congratulations to all of the Grant Choirs for their fabulous performance at the Fall Concert last night! I was thoroughly impressed with their focus, enthusiasm and musicianship. Each choir brought their repertoire to the next level in what was an astounding concert. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the program. I'm very proud of all you've accomplished and I hope you are too. Now, on to GRANTASIA!

Audio and Video from the concert are on the way, check back soon for updates!

GHS Music Studio Needs Support!

One of the projects the music department has this year is to create a fully up to date Recording Studio/Sound Lab here at Grant! The administration has been kind enough to give us control of room 231 as our project space. Now it's time to acquire the necessary technology. We are equipped with a Roland Concert MIDI Keyboard, a Chickering 5 foot grand piano (newly donated) and soon with a state of the art iMAC as our computer point. Now we need to raise funds for software, speakers, microphones, an audio interface, instrument cables, etc...

A great place to start is by going to... 

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/ghs-music-lab-software-sibelius-7/1089444/

... and contributing today! Donors Choose is a great resource for teachers to "crowd source" their classroom needs. Right now we are also in a period of donation matching so if you decide to give to the project be sure to enter the promo code INSPIRE for the match to be applied. Thank you so much for your continued support of the music department at Grant. Hopefully soon we can begin educating our students in musical arts technology and they can begin producing their own songs, albums, videos, who knows??? Grant High School Record Label anyone??? 

Quick Dates Calendar

2013-14 Grant Choir Department Calendar (as of 9/16/13)

Please note which choir your student is in. Students are not required to attend events for a choir they are not a member of. All members of Royal Blues are considered members of A Cappella. All dates/times subject to change. Info at grantchoir.blogspot.com

Oct 15^th: All Choirs, Fall Concert Dress Rehearsal, After School

Oct 16^th: All Choirs, Fall Concert, 7pm downbeat, 6pm call time

Oct 19^th: A Cappella, George Fox Choral Symposium, 7am to 1pm @George Fox

Dec 12^th: A Cappella, The Grotto, 8pm

Dec 13^th: Royal Blues, Dress Rehearsal for Wintersong, 7pm to 10pm

Dec 14^th: Royal Blues, Wintersong Concert, 7:30pm downbeat, 6:30 call time

Dec 15^th: Royal Blues, Wintersong Concert, 1:30pm downbeat, 12:30 call time

Dec 17^th: All Choirs, In-school field trip rehearsal for Grantasia

Dec 18^th: All Choirs, Grantasia Dress Rehearsal, After School

Dec 19^th: All Choirs, Grantasia, 6:30pm downbeat, 5:30 call time

Jan 27^th: A Cappella, Gloria Rehearsal w/Wilson, 10am to 12:30 @Grant

Feb 6^th: A Cappella, Gloria Rehearsal w/Wilson, 6:30pm to 8:30 @Grant

Feb 8^th: Solo & Ensemble, all day @ Grant

Feb 15^th: A Cappella Gloria Rehearsal w/Wilson, 10am to 12:30 @Grant

Feb 27^th: A Cappella, Gloria Rehearsal w/Wilson/Orchestra, 6:30 to 12:30 @Grant

Mar 2^nd: A Cappella, Gloria Performance @Schnitz, 4pm call time

Mar 18^th: B&G Singers, Early Spring Concert Dress Rehearsal, After School

Mar 19^th: B&G Singers, Early Spring Concert, 7pm downbeat, 6:15pm call time

April 2^nd: A Cappella, Festival Season Dress Rehearsal, After School

April 7^th: A Cappella, Festival Season Dress Rehearsal, After School

April 8^th: A Cappella, TRL Choir Festival, Evening/tba, @Lake Oswego HS

April 9^th: A Cappella, PIL Choir Festival, After school, @Grant

May 10^th: A Cappella, State Choir Festival, day/tba, @George Fox

May 27^th: A Choirs, Spring Concert Dress Rehearsal, After school

May 28^th: All Choirs, Spring Concert, 7pm downbeat, 6pm call time @ Grant

May 29^th: Royal Blues Callbacks, after school

May 30^th: Royal Blues List Posted, after school

June 6^th: Graduation??? (TBA), evening

Welcome Back!

Dear Choir Parents/Guardians,
                                                                                     

Welcome back to Grant for another wonderful year! I’m very excited to be returning for my second year as Director of Choirs and to continue building upon the fabulous vocal tradition at Grant. For those of you who are new, I look forward to meeting you and your student. For those returning, I’m so glad to have you back in the fold and can’t wait to start making music.

This year promises to have a number of highlights and exciting opportunities. The A Cappella choir will be getting brand new robes and will have the honor of pairing with the Wilson High School A Choir and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony for a performance of John Rutter’s Gloria at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The General Chorale has been renamed the Blue & Gray Singers, will for the first time ever have professional, matching robes, and boasts over 60 members – the largest non-auditioned high school choir in the district! The Royal Blues will have the honor of performing with the Portland Symphonic Choir for their Wintersong concert in December at St. Mary’s Cathedral and are planning a trip to Ashland to share a variety of music on texts by William Shakespeare. All of the choirs will also be part of the first ever interdepartmental arts collaboration at the Winter Concert. The concert, billed as Grantasia!, will feature choirs, bands, string orchestra, the drama department, dance department and the visual arts department.

Apart from our incredible concert lineup our daily class work will focus on teaching music theory skills, foundations of music history, sight reading exercises, score analysis, team building skills, performance etiquette and professional musicianship skills. Students will develop healthy singing habits, which in turn become healthy lifestyle habits, through daily warm-ups, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques. All of the choirs will cover a broad range of musical styles ranging from Classical to Pop, Renaissance to Jazz, Folk to Modern, Experimental to Rock, and everything beyond.

I will do my best to communicate all necessary information to you during the year. Through our new student information system, Synergy, I will easily be able to communicate to all of you via email prior to concerts and rehearsals. Also, the Grant Choral Department has a blog with all of the current dates/times on the calendar. The website is grantchoir.blogspot.com I will update the blog throughout the year as well with photos/videos and reviews of our concerts. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call or email me at any time. I look forward to hearing from you. Within the first week of school I will send out an email to everyone asking for a list of volunteers. If you would like to be considered for a volunteer position please respond to the email, or let me know. A list of current dates/times/rehearsals is on the reverse side of this letter.

Thank you again to all of you for your support of the choir program! I’m looking forward to another amazing year at Grant teaching you students and I hope you are too. Time to sing!